Congress & Policy
Reconciliation, in plain terms
The procedure that lets a budget bill pass the Senate with fifty-one votes — and the rule that decides what may ride along.
The Federal Reserve · Explainer
What is the FOMC?
Twelve people vote. This is who they are, what they are actually voting on, and why the vote matters more than the press conference that follows it.
What just happened
No dated posts yet. Standing explainers are maintained continuously; timestamped posts appear here when something happens.
Latest explainers
Congress & Policy
A continuing resolution, explained in four steps
What it funds, for how long, and what it deliberately leaves unresolved.
Federal Spending & Debt
Debt vs. deficit
One is a year. The other is every year, added up. Coverage swaps them constantly.
Glossary
Appropriations
The annual laws that give federal agencies legal authority to spend money.
Live data
Fed funds target
3.50–3.75%
as of Sep 1, 2026 · Federal Reserve
CPI, 12-month
3.5%
as of Jul 1, 2026 · BLS
Total public debt
$40.2T
as of Aug 31, 2026 · Treasury
Total public debt outstanding
$40,175,641,071,634
Estimated now, extrapolated from the published figure at the average rate of the last twelve months — about $8.0 billion a day. These digits are a projection, not a Treasury reading.
Published figure $40,175,641,071,634
Clock after the one at
govspending.org,
a sibling publication in our network.
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What changed in federal economic policy, and what it means. Free.
The Federal Reserve
FOMC, the dual mandate, QE and QT, the balance sheet, and how a rate decision reaches the economy.
Federal Spending & Debt
The debt, deficits, appropriations, CBO projections, entitlements and interest costs.
Congress & Policy
How bills become law, committees, and the votes that move fiscal policy.
Related from our network
congressvotetracker.org
Recorded House and Senate votes, by member